Metaspion isn't a Google-nope, but it's close. The band likes to call itself a Norwegian electronic-folk project, and I guess that's fine. The folk is more aligned with Fairport Convention's proggy take, and the electronic is both accessible and experimental. Oh, and there's a violin in the mix.

Metaspion Cryptomeduza (Push Records)

The songs generally resemble drones or ragas, holding fast to a single groove and then building on that foundation. Those bones are often truly sticky hooks, even if they don't really fit any particular genre or sound. Metaspion does not seem to have met an envelope it doesn't want to push.

Given the violin and other folk accoutrements, the sound is not nearly as chilly as it could be. The electronic elements take on whatever feel is necessary for the song. Sometimes warm and sometimes icy, all elements are in service of the music.

The overall effect is otherworldly. At times it feels like the band is about to merge into mainstream, and then a conflagration of creativity shoots things back into orbit. I'm doing a truly dreadful job of describing this. I haven't heard anything quite like Metaspion, and yet I find even its experimental elements to be totally addictive. Something wondrous.

Jon Worley